The Effect of Fluctuating vs. Constant Frozen Storage Temperature Regimes on Some Quality Parameters of Selected Food Products

doi:10.1006/fstl.2001.0837

LWT - Food Science and Technology

Volume 35, Issue 2, March 2002, Pages 190-200

https://doi.org/10.1006/fstl.2001.0837 Get rights and content

Abstract

Samples of frozen raw salmon, smoked mackerel, stewed pork pieces, ice cream, pizza (with a mozzarella cheese topping), hollandaise sauce, strawberries, and blanched broccoli were mildly temperature abused by subjecting them to temperature fluctuations below the freezing point. This involved three temperature fluctuation cycles of −30 °C to −10 °C to −30 °C on consecutive weeks followed by storage at a constant −30 °C for 8 mo. The samples were compared with duplicate sets held for 8 mo at a constant −60 °C (superfreezing) or −30 °C (control) and testing (objective and sensory) was conducted after 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mo. The temperature regimes had a larger effect on peroxide (PV) and free fatty acid (FFA) values than on any of the other parameters tested over the product range. The pattern in the data was the same for each fat-containing product in that superfreezing (−60 °C) gave the lowest PVs and FFAs, the control (−30 °C) was intermediate, while the fluctuating regime gave the highest values. PVs and FFAs also increased with length of time in frozen storage. While smoked mackerel had relatively high PVs and FFAs, rancidity was not a major problem in any of the fat-containing products as indicated by sensory tests. The temperature regimes had a minimal effect on texture, colour, water-holding capacity and drip loss on thawing for most of the products. However, superfreezing resulted in a better retention of vitamin C in strawberries.

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Regular ArticleThe Effect of Fluctuating vs. Constant Frozen Storage Temperature Regimes on Some Quality Parameters of Selected Food Products

Abstract

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